Bottles[1] and buildings may not seem like a natural fit, but this form of reuse construction has been around for a surprisingly long time[2]. The Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel was erected by Virginia Wright-Frierson in 2004 at Airlie Gardens[3], Wilmington, NC and is a beautiful example of what you can do with this rather unique form of building expression. In a twist, a sculpture of a tree inhabited with birds sprouts from the inside.

Built as a garden retreat, Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel reflects the organic shape, light, and colors surrounding it and invites you to walk within it walls and relax with a sense of wonder and play. A substantial pallet of color and form results from its humble glass bottle construction.

In architecture, light and form have been central themes for a long time, but reuse often plays second fiddle to recycling[4] when it comes to the building materials. As affordable and environmentally benign ways to build become more common, more unique structures will result from the reuse of discarded materials like bottles.